T&T: Annapolis Sailboats

[Alsgarage@aol.com]

In August of this year, we were tied up in the mooring field off the Naval  
Academy in Annapolis.  On late Wednesday afternoon, apparently at the end  of a 
race, dozens and dozens of what seemed to be 25' to 40' sailboats headed up  
Spa Creek.  The drawbridge was closed.  The sailboats then commenced  to weave 
back up the channel or through the mooring field, under sail, at  speed.  We 
had multiple passes at distances less than 8'.  The  crews seemed to be having 
a great time cutting their turns as close as  possible.  We had one cross our 
bow, just clipping our mooring ball on the  outboard side, heading back into 
the channel, narrowly avoiding a T-bone  collision with another sailboater 
proceeding up the channel, literally less than  10' from our bow.
 
We was obviously very concerned by this time, but my wife absolutely  forbids 
the use of flare guns under these circumstances (no sense of  humor).  So I 
hailed the harbormaster on VHF, and explained the situation  to him.  I told 
him I was concerned about possibilities of collisions in  this melee.  He said 
it happens frequently.  He also gave me the  impression that there was not much 
he could do about it...
 
 
Regards,

Al Townsend
M/V Pelican
Deltaville,  VA
alsgarage@aol.com


Back to  sailboats for just a minute.  Almost everytime I go into Annapolis  
there's a regatta operating across the channel and it's my opinion that  
sailboaters use power boats for targets.  It ticks me off, on windy days  they're 
often travelling faster than
I am.